This study analyzes China’s agri-food intra-industry trade using the Grubel–Lloyd (GL) indices for 2000–2016. The GL indices of China are lower than the average values for East Asian countries during this period. This reflects the fact that Broad Economic Categories (BEC) 112 and BEC 121 have a larger trade share and lower GL indices. The BEC 122 trade between China and Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia has a large share and higher intra-industry trade rate.

This study examined the policies and development concerning women’s education in occupied Japan (1945–1952), particularly Shimane Prefecture. The Ministry of Education had developed a plan to cultivate voluntary women’s groups. However, because the plan made it possible to use existing groups, it was withdrawn by the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE). CIE insisted that women’s groups should be composed entirely of volunteers. Based on the policies of the Ministry of Education and CIE, Shimane Prefecture encouraged the formation of voluntary women’s groups. However, in fact, it did so by using existing women’s associations to promote women’s education. The reasons for the responses were the connection between the Ministry of Education and Shimane Prefecture, the feudal character of rural society, and the existence of the Chugoku Civil Affairs Region. As women’s education developed in Shimane Prefecture, women gradually began acting with voluntary consciousness.

This study examines the current conditions and challenges in the development of extension officers using questionnaires and interview surveys administered to Agricultural Innovation Support Senior Technical Managers. The study was conducted to propose a direction for the future development of extension officers. On-the-job and off-the-job training are commonly carried out as human resource development activities for grooming extension officers. Management for preparing the system of such activities, however, does not necessarily function properly. We, therefore, performed comprehensive assessments based on principal component analysis, using the conditions of the implementation and evaluation of human resource development activities and its management as the study variables. The results demonstrated that improving comprehensive measures linking human resource development activities and management can help achieve successful human resource development.